


Bone to the Wolf

by stephaniereads



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky heals in Wakanda, Lines up with the timeline going into infinity war, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve comes back, but there is no infinity war here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:23:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephaniereads/pseuds/stephaniereads
Summary: "The only the thing I ever needIs you standing right next to meThe world could fall apartYou own my lonely heart"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another Steve/Bucky fic? So soon? Of course.
> 
> Please excuse (or correct if you'd like) any linguistic errors, Google translate can only be trusted so much.
> 
> Lyrics in the summary are from "Jets to Peru" by Senses Fail.

~ 

Every inch of the cabin becomes washed in gold around sunset. The children return to their families, the animals find places to rest, and Wakanda falls silent, like everyone stops what they’re doing to admire the sinking sun. 

Bucky can’t decide what he likes better- how the light filters in through the windows in soft rays or how the entire sky yellows, becomes spotted with orange and pink, hardly any blue at all. He knows for sure that it’s his favorite time of day. As much as he enjoys having the kids running around and tending to the animals, helping out where he can, he appreciates the stillness.

Bucky pats one kid on the head after he tugs at Bucky’s robes, wraps his arms around Bucky’s leg in a goodbye hug. When Bucky is truly alone, surrounded by nothing but the breeze and the sun and his own thoughts, he lets himself think about the things he misses. The one person he misses the most.

~

Shuri checks in on Bucky a lot less than when he first woke up from the cryosleep. This morning she finds him standing outside to let the sun shine on his face and he smiles when he sees her.

“How are you feeling this morning, Sergeant?”

“Ok.”

“Just wanted to make sure there haven’t been any reversions in your progress.”

“No. All good,” Bucky says with a point towards his head. “I’ve had some vivid dreams lately, but nothing worse than the last bad one.”

Shuri nods and as quickly as she arrived, turns to leave. 

“Come,” she calls to Bucky. “I’ve got something to show you.”

~

There’s been a part of Bucky that hasn’t quite felt human since his memories started to come back. He’d call himself a monster, made himself believe that he was only worth anything as a weapon, he was nothing but his body, a shell. 

There are still times where he believes that. There are still days in Shuri’s lab when he sees the vibranium arm she’s been working on and has to look away. When he sees it now, sleek and finally finished, he doesn’t feel the same need to avert his eyes.

“It’s done.”

“Worked out all the kinks, seems to be running smoothly.”

Bucky runs his fingers over the smooth surface and it’s cool to the touch. It’s a harsh reminder that Bucky will never be truly, physically whole again. 

“It’s incredible,” Bucky chokes out and Shuri looks away from him, casts her eyes down to her invention. 

“I know it upsets you to have to have it,” Shuri says, “but it is not a weapon, not the way it was. And you’ve been fine without one at all, you don’t have to use it if you’d rather not.”

Bucky looks up and his expression softens. She’s so young, does so much for others without question. She reminds Bucky a little of Steve in her toughness, her happiness to help everyone else.

“You worked really hard and I’m really grateful,” Bucky tells her. “When can you squeeze me in to get this bad boy on?”

Shuri smiles. “Later in the week. T’Challa’s busted up his suit a little and it needs some upgrades.”

“Ok. Thanks, Shuri. I owe you.” 

“Now the broken white boy is dramatic,” she jokes, rolls her eyes even when she smiles at him cheek to cheek.

~

The procedure takes a few hours so they start early. Bucky’s sleepy, dozes off here and there, and it feels like a dream when he looks at himself in the reflection of the glass that surrounds them.

“How do you feel?”

“Good,” Bucky replies with a nod. “It’s so light.”

“Wiggle your fingers,” Shuri commands.

Bucky does and the fingers move so smoothly, human-like. When he bends at the joint of the metal arm, it doesn’t feel stiff. He rolls his shoulder and the permanent ache is still there, but less so. 

“This feels amazing.”

There’s no whirring, no ever present buzz like there was on Hydra’s monster of a weapon. Shuri’s vibranium arm is strong of course, but it’s not made to destroy, Bucky can feel that in the liquidity of its movement.

“Suits you,” Shuri says proudly.

Bucky gives her a small smile and turns back to his reflection. He won’t really be whole again, he knows that. The dark parts of him, the ones that tell him that he’s still the horrible things he’s worked hard to unlearn on his worst days, might always be there. Next to those parts there’s a sliver of light that shines through, a voice inside reminding him that he’s not a weapon, this arm is a choice, and when Bucky looks at himself, he can believe he’s human again.

~

Bucky still has some bad moments. Shuri was able to repair a lot of the damage that was done to his brain mentally and physically. He’s spent a lot of time on her table and goes in for check ups occasionally, but there are off days. 

When Bucky wakes up from one of those vivid dreams, he’s sweating and his heart is pounding and he has to take a minute to force his entire body to relax. He regulates his breathing and brings himself back down. He dreamt about Steve, about that day on the helicarrier, the day that changed everything. He pictured Steve underneath him, head smacking backward every time Bucky’s fist connected with his mouth. 

Bucky doesn’t mention Steve often. Not about how much he wishes he could change everything, how he misses him, how he carries the guilt of what he’s put him through every day. Shuri put Bucky on a new path, helped him come out of the dark. Shuri’s the smartest kid in the world, Bucky’s sure of that.

Bucky’s also sure that even the smartest kid in the world couldn’t do a damn thing to mend the hole in Bucky’s chest where everything Steve Rogers is resides.

~

Bucky’s still working on bettering his sleeping habits. He finds himself awake most nights, naps during the day sometimes to make up for the lack of sleep. He’s dozing on his bed early one evening when T’Challa knocks on the door, the general beside him, Shuri at their flank.

“Don’t mean to disturb you, James.”

The use of his first name is almost as weird for Bucky as ‘Sergeant Barnes’, but he doesn’t correct the king.

“It’s no problem.”

“Hope I find you well.”

Bucky nods, follows the group outside.

“I came down to ask if you’re up to taking a visitor.”

Bucky’s eyebrows knit together and he cocks his head. “A visitor?”

“Yes. Please join us,” T’Challa says with a nod towards the city. 

“Should I uh… can I wear this?” Bucky says with a look down at the blanket like robes he wears almost exclusively now.

T’Challa smiles knowingly and Shuri looks down with the same look etched on her face. “Feel free to wear your street clothes if you’d like.”

Bucky can’t remember the last time he wore jeans and a t-shirt. It feels weird, not as soft as the clothes he’s been given here. He walks with the group, follows them till they arrive in front of the tower.

Bucky can’t believe his eyes. Cause he’s right there, just a few feet away. He looks exactly the same except for his hair and something in his eyes, but it still feels like the first time Bucky’s ever seen him.

“Steve.”

They close the gap between each other and Steve wraps his arm around Bucky’s shoulder, squeezes when Bucky does the same. Bucky can feel Steve’s little gasp and he smiles near Steve’s neck, looks down when they separate.

“Your arm.”

“Cool, huh?”

Steve nods, stuck in a daze. He pats Bucky’s shoulder and gives him a quick up and down. 

“So how’ve you been, Buck?”

Bucky smiles, shrugs his good shoulder. “Not bad.”

“When did you get this?”

“Brand new,” Bucky says proudly. “Had the procedure done less than two weeks ago.”

Bucky can faintly hear Shuri somewhere behind him mumbling to her brother about something. He turns to look at them and she knocks against his shoulder, tilts her head in the direction of her lab.

“Please, feel free to walk about the grounds,” T’Challa says to Steve and Bucky. “I must go to the lab with my sister.”

They nod and Shuri smirks and Bucky narrows his eyes because she’s up to something, isn’t she always? He brushes it off and before he can even say goodbye, he and Steve are alone.

“Did you just get here?”

“I’ve actually been here for a few days.”

“What? Why didn’t you- why didn’t they tell me?”

“I asked them not to,” Steve explains, “in case you weren’t ready.”

Bucky nods and looks at Steve again, observes what’s different, remembers what’s the same. He let his facial hair grow out, too, and there’s just something Bucky can’t place when he looks into Steve eyes which isn’t for long.

“How ‘bout you, Steve? How are you?”

Steve shrugs. “Alright.”

Bucky can see right through him, always could. He let’s Steve off the hook for now though and they walk off towards nothing in particular, just walk through the city, end up on the plains eventually.

“What are you doing here, Steve?”

“Missed my friend.”

Bucky swallows hard. His heart swells and then breaks when Steve says that to him. He looks out at the land, squints when the sun hits his eyes.

“How long can you stay?”

“There are no Avengers,” Steve says a bit regretfully. “No SHIELD. Nothing keeping me there, you know?”

Bucky nods. 

“So I’m in no rush,” Steve smiles. “Trust me.”

Bucky smiles back and they fall silent, kick around on the border between city and plains. Steve looks around and Bucky looks at Steve and when Steve turns back, Bucky drops his gaze to his feet.

“This place is incredible.”

“That’s an understatement. Where have you been staying?”

“In the tower,” Steve says with a nod towards the building. “Where do you stay?”

Bucky tilts his chin towards his cabin in the distance and Steve smiles.

“Not in the capital, huh?”

“No. I help out with the animals cause they roam around, I like the space.”

“Thought you’d stay a city boy, Buck.”

They start walking again and don’t stop till they hit the water. Bucky sits on top of a rock so Steve joins him.

“You seem like you’re doing really well, Bucky,” Steve says, breaking the silence.

“I am. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of myself back. There’s still some pieces missing,” Bucky says wistfully, “but I’m getting there.”

The sun hangs low in the sky, glints in shades of gold off the water’s surface. Bucky watches it reflect in Steve’s eyes, commits the moment to memory. He wishes he could draw like Steve could or at least had a camera to capture it, keep it in his pocket forever.

“Steve,” Bucky calls softly to grab his attention, doesn’t look away from Steve’s eyes when he turns to face Bucky head on. “You didn’t have to wait. To see me, I mean.”

“They told me you were alright, but I dunno, I guess I wanted to be sure.”

“Why wouldn’t I be ok with seeing you, Steve? Why would you think that?”

Bucky sounds hurt when he speaks. Steve leans in and Bucky has an urge to close the gap, hold Steve in place and taste whatever it he has to say.

“I didn’t want to be a distraction, Buck. T’Challa told me how well you were doing. I didn’t want you to see me if it was going to change that.”

“You’re dumber than you look,” Bucky says, shaking his head, a smile playing at his lips. 

Steve chuckles, but his expression falls quickly.

“I wanted to see you, Bucky. You have no idea how badly.”

“You were the first person I thought about when they woke me up,” Bucky admits. “You know that? I just wanted to see you, Steve. Every day since then, too.”

Steve’s quiet and Bucky stares at him longingly and damnit, Steve really is dumber than he looks, Bucky thinks. Cause how could he possibly not see it? How could he think Bucky would want anything more than to see him? How is he so blind to what’s right in front of him staring like he painted the damn sunset that’s just beginning right in front of them.

“You’re getting soft on me, Buck.”

Bucky forces a smile and looks out at the water. Neither of them say anything for a while. Steve admires the view and Bucky admires Steve and they’ve gotten physically closer than Bucky realized. Their thighs are pressed together through their jeans and Bucky can feel the warmth Steve radiates. It brings him back to nights in the war when Steve would act as a furnace.

Steve shakes his head and Bucky cocks his curiously, bumps Steve’s shoulder with his own.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Steve shrugs. “Just the view.”

Bucky nods and then Steve looks at him, eyes squinted almost shut to block the glare of the sun off the water.

“And that I’m here with you. Just can’t believe how lucky I am.”

Bucky inhales sharply and holds onto it for a second, releases the tension that’s built in him with a deep breath.

~

You can’t squeeze years of absence into mere hours, but damnit if Bucky and Steve don’t try. The first night, the two of them stay up just sharing space after the sun goes down and Steve doesn’t leave Bucky till long after the moon reflects silver on the water.

Bucky walks Steve through his day to day, lets him sit with the goats that graze near the cabin. Steve smiles up at Bucky as he pets the head of one of the animals.

“Life on the farm,” Steve says and Bucky just smirks.

One morning Steve stops by and finds Bucky sitting with one of the children that visits frequently. The kid’s got a grip on Bucky’s wrist, pulling him towards the tree. Bucky catches Steve’s movement in his peripheral vision, but Steve keeps his distance, watches from afar. Bucky watches the boy climb the tree to one of its higher branches where he perches and lets his legs hang off.

“See? I can do it,” he shouts from the leaves, smiling brightly.

Bucky’s smile is as wide as the boy’s and he claps, nods approvingly. Steve makes his way over as the boy skillfully climbs down the tree and Bucky accepts a hug around his leg.

“Kakhulu,” he says with a warm smile and the boy grins again.

“You are learning, Ingcuka.”

Bucky nods and the boy becomes shy when he spots Steve. Bucky looks up and rubs the boy’s head affectionately.

“This is my friend.”

Steve gets down on his knee and waves. “I’m Steve.”

“Mkhokeli,” the boy says softly.

“I saw you climb that tree,” Steve tells him. “You’re good.”

That seems to work because the boy smiles and loosens his grip on Bucky a little. He pokes his head out when he hears his name called and waves goodbye to the pair.

“You speak Wakandan?” Steve says after the boy has left.

“Not as well as Russian yet,” Bucky jokes.

Steve shakes his head and walks with Bucky to stand under the shade of the tree. “He called you something,” Steve observes.

“Ingcuka,” Bucky repeats. “It means white wolf.”

Steve nods and asks Bucky about the kids because he wants to see his face lit up the way it was before. Sure enough, Bucky talks about them all with such fervor. The corners of his eyes crinkle when he remembers some moments and Bucky feels himself rambling so he trails off after a while.

“You like having them around, huh?”

Bucky nods. “Guess it’s just nice to see their innocence. Keeps me grounded.”

“You were so good with him,” Steve says softly, his tone laced with something Bucky can’t quite place. “And you looked real happy, Buck.”

Bucky combs his hair back, shakes it out a little.

“I love this place,” he says.

He stretches his limbs and nods at Steve to follow him.

“C’mon. I’ve gotta go to the lab.”

~

Steve and Bucky get together every day. Sometimes they hang around in the room Steve’s staying in and Steve shows Bucky music and movies Bucky hasn’t gotten around to checking out yet.

“Sam shows me everything,” Steve explains. “He’s got questionable taste sometimes, but for the most part it’s not bad.”

Other days Bucky just guides Steve around his cabin and they feed the animals, explore the land. They venture to the outskirts and share stories from a time before all this, before the war, and sometimes Wakanda is Brooklyn and Steve and Bucky are kids again.

Steve stays late some nights. Bucky doesn’t mind, wishes that late turned into all night. 

They’re sitting outside by the lake, Steve’s head barely brushing against Bucky’s thigh. He sits up suddenly, eyes on the water, and juts his chin towards it.

“Do you ever swim?”

“No. I’m sure I could, I guess I just never thought of it.”

Steve smiles brightly and strips off his shirt and Bucky feels his entire body warm up. He doesn’t look away, lets his gaze travel slowly down Steve’s body to the fair trail of hair that disappears into the waist of his pants.

“You’re not going to let me go alone, are you?”

Bucky stands up and Steve smiles, kicks off his jeans.

“Guess not,” Bucky shrugs.

He’s still a little self conscious of the scarred skin on his shoulder, but brushes it off for the moment. Steve looks over his shoulder at Bucky when he gets his top off and their stares connect and even in the low light of the moon, Bucky sees the redness that flushes Steve’s cheeks. Bucky opens his mouth to say something, but before it comes out Steve dives in.

Bucky watches from the water’s edge as Steve comes up for air and it’s like he’s looking at a work of art he wants to ruin. 

“C’mon, Buck.”

Bucky wades in till the water’s up to his waist and Steve floats nearby, sending ripples through the water.

“Nice, huh?”

Bucky only nods. He can’t completely focus on what Steve’s saying, too busy noting everything in his head to lock it away for the rest of time.

Silver. Steve’s outlined in silver, droplets of water sparkle in the moonlight on his stomach and chest, and his hair is dark, streaked with the color when it’s wet.

Bucky’s caught up in committing the image to memory when Steve uprights himself and shakes his hair out. Bucky shields himself too late and ends up splashed and Steve smiles that damn perfect smile and Bucky flashes his crooked one and shakes his head.

“Like a damn dog.”

Bucky dips himself in since he’s soaked now anyway and Steve’s standing in front of him when he comes back to the surface.

“Feels good,” Bucky breathes.

Some strands of Steve’s hair hang over his forehead and water drips down his shoulder and Bucky has an urge to close the space between them, feel the warmth of Steve’s skin through the cool water that surrounds them.

Steve nods and cups his hands just below the surface, pours the water over himself. Bucky has to tear his gaze away, chews his lip when Steve repeats the gesture. They don’t stay in for long and Bucky pads barefoot into his cabin, passes a towel to Steve when he joins him back outside.

“I guess I should head back now,” Steve says, though he doesn’t take a single step.

“It’s late,” Bucky says with a gentle shove against Steve’s shoulder. “Go get some sleep.”

Steve nods and pulls his clothes on. Bucky can see how they stick uncomfortably and he smiles as Steve rubs the towel against his hair.

“Keep the towel,” Bucky says from his doorway.

“Good night, Bucky. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

~

Bucky’s in the lab with Shuri and T’Challa so Shuri can make sure things are running smoothly with his arm. Shuri keeps giving T’Challa weird looks and Bucky notes T’Challa returning the stares with his own questioning expressions.

“White wolf,” T’Challa says suddenly.

Bucky looks up and raises his eyebrows.

“You’ve been well, I assume.”

Bucky nods. “Yeah, I’ve been alright.”

“And your friend? The same with him?”

Bucky’s eyes narrow a little, but he nods.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time together,” T’Challa says warmly and Bucky feels his face get hot. “It must be nice to have him around again.”

Bucky looks at Shuri and she’s smiling to herself, curls her lips in to hide it when she notices Bucky’s stare.

“It is,” Bucky replies, looking back to T’Challa. “Thanks for having him and for letting us stay.”

“He’s thanked me more than enough for the both of you,” T’Challa tells him. “We’re more than happy to have you.”

Bucky smiles and T’Challa pats his shoulder before he bumps Shuri’s fist and leaves.

“You’re all set,” Shuri says shortly. “Go on, don’t keep your boy waiting.”

“My what?” Bucky says, suddenly short of breath.

Shuri laughs and shakes her head and Bucky rubs at the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“I mean your friend,” Shuri clarifies, but her eyes have this twinkle in them.

~

Bucky and Steve have been out of the sun most of the day. They caught up with Sam on the phone for a while and got caught in the middle of a cat joke when T’Challa dropped in to greet them.

“Don’t forget, Wilson, cats catch birds and have them for dinner.”

Steve and Bucky couldn’t help but to laugh and T’Challa walked out with a victorious, satisfied smile on his face.

Now the sun is gone and the moon’s started to fight its way through the clouds and Steve and Bucky sit in Bucky’s place, sun-tired and relaxed.

“You know, Steve, I uh. I never got to say thank you,” Bucky says, breaking a long silence. “For bringing me back and everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Buck. What else would I have done, huh? I’d never leave you.”

“Of course I have to thank you,” Bucky argues. “You risked everything for me.”

The words don’t fully sink in till Bucky says them out loud. _Steve risked everything._ Steve would have killed or been killed for Bucky, probably still would.

“Cause it’s you, Buck.”

“Jesus, Steve. You can be so stupid sometimes, you know that?” Bucky says, suddenly angry thinking about how he could have easily lost Steve. 

“Easy, Buck,” Steve warns.

Bucky shakes his head, ignores Steve entirely. 

“You were ready to die up there weren’t you?” Bucky says, voice eerily calm. “You dropped your shield like it was nothing.”

“Only because I wanted to get you back, Bucky.”

“By dying for me? What if it hadn’t worked, huh? What if I kept going?”

“You didn’t.”

“I could have,” Bucky shouts. “I could’ve killed you, Steve.”

“Don’t you see that I would have done anything to get you back?”

“Don’t you see how much of a waste if would have been if you didn’t make it? So fucking stupid,” Bucky says angrily. “You’ve nearly gotten yourself killed for me how many times not thinking that then I’d have nothing to fucking come back for!”

“Bucky.”

“You think nothing of yourself, Steve. You think every life but yours is worth saving.”

Steve’s face reddens and he stiffens his lip, keeps his gaze focused on Bucky’s. “Why is that your problem, huh? We both made it, Bucky, why are you so focused on-”

“Cause I love you,” Bucky screams over him. “I love you, Steve,” Bucky repeats, quieter than before, tired, breathless when he says Steve’s name.

Steve’s own breath gets stuck in his throat and his mouth opens, closes, opens again, but no words come out.

“If you died trying to save me, I would have nothing. You’re so guilty about everything that’s happened that you’d sacrifice yourself to make up for it because you’re a dumbass, Steve, you don’t see that all I want is right there in front of me. It’s not you throwing yourself away to save me, do you get that? I need you to understand, Steve, I _need_ you to get it through your damn thick skull that I love you. I’ve always loved you and if I ever lose you because you made the choice to leave me like that, I’ll find you in our next round and kick the ever loving shit out of you, do you understand me?”

Steve inched closer and closer to Bucky as he spoke and now he stands right in front of him, the both of them breathless, open. Steve reaches out to touch Bucky’s neck and Bucky feels flowers bloom in his chest, feels his blood run hot, wings bigger than those of a butterfly flapping furiously in his stomach.

“You’ve got the mouth of a sailor on you, do you know that?”

Bucky sniffs a laugh, shakes his head. He leans forward a little and loses his breath all over again when his forehead touches Steve’s. All the anger dissipates when Steve pushes Bucky’s head up with his own, brushes his nose against Bucky’s and Bucky opens his mouth a little to breathe Steve in, taste the air between them, the current that runs through it.

Steve’s lips ghost over Bucky’s and they tease it for a second, let their lips catch and let go. And then they crash. Bucky clings to Steve and Steve rests his other hand on the other side of Bucky’s neck so that his thumbs line up with Bucky’s jaw and they satisfy seventy years worth of craving.

Bucky lets go of Steve’s hips to grab for his face, tilt him back so he can have him how he wants him. He forces Steve backward till they hit a wall and Steve gasps against Bucky’s mouth, smiles when Bucky eagerly kisses Steve’s neck. Their mouths meet again and they fill their lungs with each other, pull at one another because no space between them is still too much after all this time.

The beat of Steve’s pulse underneath Bucky’s fingers is fast and Bucky slows them down, smiles when Steve sighs like he was waiting to catch his breath.

“I love you, too,” Steve says, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t tell you before. I love you, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I loved you with all of my messed up heart before the war and I loved you when I thought you were gone and I love you now.”

Bucky nods, rests his head against Steve’s. It’s like now that they know what it feels like to kiss the other, they can’t stop. Bucky catches Steve’s lips on his, parts them with his tongue. Steve’s name sticks between Bucky’s teeth, he can taste it on his tongue the way he can taste Steve’s breath.

He breathes it when Steve drops his mouth to Bucky’s neck, cradles his head and tilts it to the side. Bucky lets Steve keep control for a moment, chews his lip when Steve mouths right below Bucky’s ear. Bucky guides Steve back, reconnects their lips, licks into his mouth. All he can think about is that he loves him. He loves this hard headed, stupid, proud mess of a man and he feels him everywhere.

Steve’s in Bucky’s heart, he’s in the way Bucky breathes, he’s in Bucky’s fucking ribcage threatening to crack every bone with how he ties himself there. In a garden that’s grown and died, been trampled through and torn down, Steve’s an evergreen. Strong and always present, undying like the way Bucky loves him. 

“You can’t leave me,” Bucky says, forehead touching Steve’s, their hands working to pull each other closer still. “Ok? You can’t leave.”

“I never could.”

Bucky’s hand finds Steve’s cheek and he caresses Steve’s skin, drops his fingers to splay them against the column of Steve’s neck. His free hand, his left, grabs for Steve’s, flattens his palm atop Steve’s against his chest. Steve’s fingertips dig into Bucky’s flesh and Bucky’s hand presses against Steve’s neck.

“You feel that?”

Steve nods.

“That’s you. Do you understand me? You’re everything I am, Steve, and if I ever have to let you go, I won’t. I’ll follow you.”

Steve’s fingers curl against Bucky’s chest again. Bucky thinks if Steve dug in a little deeper, broke through bone, he could grab Bucky’s heart, take back what he stole, and Bucky wouldn’t give a damn.

“Jesus, you have no idea what you do to me,” Bucky says, his voice thick with need.

“Show me.”

Bucky opens his eyes and Steve’s sort of blurred from being to close, but his eyes burn and Bucky feels Steve’s pulse quicken underneath his touch.

“I’m all yours, Buck. I’ve been yours, haven’t I?”

Bucky licks into Steve’s mouth, impatient, desperate. 

“I love you.”

“Always.”

Bucky steals a kiss and Steve anchors Bucky to him and there’s still that current around them. A spark when Bucky grabs Steve’s neck and pulls the breath right out of him.

“Please,” Steve breathes into Bucky’s mouth.

Bucky nods so his lip catches on Steve’s and they tease again, but it doesn’t last. Bucky’s impatience only grows and he tears the shirt over Steve’s head, grabs roughly at his hips. Steve returns the favor, forces Bucky to lift his arms in the air so that Steve can pull his shirt over his head.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Steve reminds Bucky when they start to rush through it.

It slows Bucky down and they take their time taking one another apart. Piece by piece, hands to hips, they push and pull to turn two bodies into one.

Their hips are seamless and their fingers slot together, knuckles white and dug hard into the mattress beneath them. Bucky catches his name on Steve’s lips, swallows it, ingraines it deep in his heart so he never forgets how it sounds. Steve comes apart underneath him breath by broken breath and they drag it out. Bucky melts when Steve begs, throws his head back and squeezes Bucky’s hand.

Their mouths hardly break apart. Their lips catch with every movement of Bucky’s hips, they slow down just to kiss again, warm and heavy and sloppy and everything Bucky’s been craving for as long as he can remember.

Steve whines when Bucky’s mouth leaves his, but Bucky longs to taste the salty sweetness of Steve’s skin. The sound breaks his heart, makes his body work harder and when Steve whines again, it’s gravelly, and Bucky bites down on Steve’s shoulder to muffle the broken moan he feels build in his chest. 

He gives into Steve and Steve grabs Bucky’s shoulders, lays his hands on either side of Bucky’s neck to keep him in place. Bucky can feel Steve shake underneath him, braces himself for the force of his own climax. Just like everything else, they finish together, movements hard, hungry, and the way Steve cries out is fucking dizzying.

Bucky swallows the sound, keeps his parted lips near Steve’s as they ride it out. Bucky lets himself crumple on top of Steve and their sweaty skin sticks together.

Steve combs through Bucky’s hair gently, smooths it back. Bucky keeps his head against Steve’s chest, right above Steve’s heart, and traces his finger over Steve’s side. Steve grabs Bucky’s hand and holds it out above them and Bucky watches through heavy lidded eyes as Steve interlocks their fingers, loosens, and repeats. He plays with them, presses their fingertips together, traces the lines of Bucky’s palm and Bucky can’t look away. 

“Stevie,” Bucky calls softly.

“Hm?”

Bucky doesn’t say anything. There’s a mutual understanding that nothing needed to be said. Bucky just likes being able to say the nickname, likes how it sounds when he’s tired and achy and slightly muffled by Steve’s chest.

Bucky forces himself off Steve, groans with the effort. Steve sits up to watch Bucky tie his hair back and some of it sticks to his neck from the sweat and Bucky smiles over his shoulder.

“See you looking.”

Bucky climbs into Steve’s lap and their lips fall together again so easily. Steve anchors Bucky to him with his arms wrapped around Bucky’s waist, low on Bucky’s back. Bucky curls his fingers into Steve’s hair, scratches through the hair on the back of his neck while they kiss some more. 

Bucky doesn’t know how he went so long without this. He grinds down against Steve’s lap and Steve’s breath hitches before he gasps against Bucky’s mouth. Steve pushes a strand of Bucky’s hair that’s fallen out of place back behind his ear and Bucky leans into the touch.

They stay up too late, kiss so much their lips ache and turn pinker. When they start to doze, Bucky’s head is against Steve’s shoulder and Steve trails his fingers up and down Bucky’s spine, kisses Bucky’s neck between breaths.

“C’mon, Buck,” Steve says softly, guiding him to get under the covers.

Bucky mumbles unintelligibly, but doesn’t hesitate to cuddle close to Steve’s side, his head on Steve’s chest again like he’s claimed Steve as a pillow.

~

Bucky presses his lips to the side of Steve’s head the next morning when he wakes up. He climbs out of bed as gently as possible, smiles when Steve grumbles sleepily and rolls over.

Bucky helps out like he does every morning, greets the kids that venture over and climb the tree to try to beat Mkhokeli. Bucky hears the door open behind him and he smiles when Steve comes up behind him.

“Hey.”

Bucky leans in a little, careful of any watchful eyes. He reaches his hand back and Steve laces their fingers together.

“Hey, Stevie.”

“What’s the plan for today?” 

Bucky smiles, looks out at the kids playing underneath the trees, people out and about in the distance and leans back to inhale Steve’s scent.

Blissfully, tiredly, he tells Steve, “Nothing.”

~

Steve shows Bucky around where he stays in the tower and Bucky ends up pinning Steve against the wall after a short time alone. They kiss slowly to memorize how it feels and Bucky curses under his breath when Steve’s phone goes off.

“No,” Steve breathes. “I don’t need to.”

Bucky’s already pulled away and he passes Steve his phone, combs his hair away and tries to relax his body. He flops backwards onto Steve’s bed and Steve stands in between his legs, smiles when Bucky pulls at Steve’s hips, twines their fingers together absent mindedly.

“Why are you smiling like that, man?”

Bucky cracks a smile when he hears the familiar voice over the speaker. 

Steve looks down at Bucky and Bucky nods because he knows why Steve’s eyebrows raise a little, what question those blue eyes beg to ask.

“Say hey, Buck.”

Bucky hardly opens his eyes, wiggles his vibranium fingers when Steve holds the phone out to show the both of them.

“What’s up, Barnes? What are you guys- _ooohh_ am I interrupting?”

“Sam,” Steve scolds.

“Have you looked in a mirror, Cap? You look like you got smacked upside that big ol’ head and we both know that’s not what happened.”

Steve tries to walk away, but Bucky keeps him anchored.

“It’s just a little messy, Steve,” Bucky says.

“Yeah, cause of you,” Sam says over the phone.

Steve smooths his palm over his hair and Sam laughs.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing, Steve, but I can see you’re busy.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Sam.”

“Hold on, does the cat know about this?”

Steve looks at Bucky and Bucky shrugs so Steve does the same.

“No idea.”

“Can I tell him?”

“Bye, Sam,” Bucky says for Steve with a teasing tone, grabs the phone out of his hand and hangs it up. “Always keeping me waiting, Rogers.”

Bucky pulls Steve on top of him and Steve smiles down at him and it’s the most perfect view, Bucky thinks. He adjusts himself under Steve’s weight, rubs his hands over Steve’s thighs.

“I think you’re just impatient.”

“So what if I am?”

Steve laughs breathlessly, leans down to get closer. Bucky pulls at Steve, draws their lips together, lets his hands travel freely over Steve’s body. Steve pulls away and Bucky whines, but the sound fades when Steve’s mouth touches his neck. Bucky tilts his head back against the mattress and he can feel Steve’s smile against his skin. Steve takes his time and Bucky curses himself for what he said before, knowing full well that Steve’s fucking with him now.

Bucky looks down his chin at Steve when he lifts Bucky’s shirt, pushes it higher up to give himself access. Steve plants kisses across Bucky’s chest, his stomach, drags his teeth through the trail of hair below Bucky’s navel and Bucky discovers a more perfect view than the one he had before.

~

The night is especially humid. The moonlight breaks over the water and Bucky sits with his chest to Steve’s back. The quiet calm wraps itself around them and Bucky finds he could sleep right here with his chin on Steve’s shoulder.

“Feel like going swimming again?” Steve proposes instead.

He stands up when Bucky nods and strips down to nothing and Bucky’s eyes widen.

“Steve, someone could see.”

Steve looks around quickly and shrugs, dives into the water. Bucky follows suit when he’s sure nobody could be watching and catches up to Steve who’s already dunked himself in.

Steve wraps his arms around Bucky’s waist and pulls Bucky close. Bucky kisses Steve’s neck, his jaw, combs through his damp hair so it falls away from Steve’s face. Steve’s eyes flicker up and Bucky notes how the water reflects in the blue of Steve’s eyes and he’s struck by Steve all over again. He’s the one staring at Bucky like the moon is shining right from out of Bucky’s soul.

“Your eyes,” Bucky says. “They’re the only part of you that look older.”

“Like yours.”

“Guess we earned it.”

Steve shuts his eyes and Bucky runs his finger over the skin, skims over Steve’s jaw. Steve doesn’t say anything else just nuzzles into Bucky’s touch, brings their mouths together. When they pull apart, Bucky barely opens his eyes, finds them drawn shut even when he tries.

“You’re tired,” Steve observes.

“I’m alright.”

“Let’s go, Buck. Wash up and go to bed.”

~

Bucky falls onto the bed with his hair still soaked and sweats pulled on all crooked. He stretches his arm over Steve’s stomach and sits up after a moment to readjust. He sits against the headboard and pats the space between his legs and Steve happily obeys, reclines against Bucky’s chest and soaks in the warmth of their bodies pressed together.

Bucky buries his face in the crook of Steve’s neck and plants a gentle kiss there, another one higher up. Steve rubs Bucky’s thigh and Bucky smiles because they always have to be touching one way or another and he loves it so much it makes his heart pound.

“Bucky?”

Bucky hums and Steve turns around so he can look at Bucky head on.

“Do you ever think about what happens after this?”

Bucky’s head falls forward, rests against Steve’s.

“I try not to.”

“Cause I can’t stay in Wakanda forever.”

Bucky’s heart cracks and his grip on Steve tightens. He knows that, he always knew that, but hearing Steve say the words shakes him.

“I know,” Bucky replies sadly. “And you know they’re probably still looking for me.”

Steve nods. “The safest place for you is here. Away from the world’s eyes.”

Bucky nods back and they just hold tighter to each other, Bucky’s arms locked around Steve’s waist.

“What if it was different?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you could leave,” Steve explains. “If your name was cleared, if you could come back. Would you come back?”

“I’d go anywhere you want.”

Steve smiles against Bucky’s mouth. 

“Brooklyn.”

“Home, huh?”

“You’re my home,” Steve corrects quickly and Bucky feels that tightness in his chest, the pull in his ribs. It takes all of his self control not to cut the conversation right there and repeat the words over and over while they break in the bed. “But Brooklyn is ours. That’s where I want to go when this is all over.”

Bucky leans forward a little and Steve instinctively tilts his head back so Bucky can press their mouths together. Steve breaks them apart to flip himself around and Bucky gently cups Steve’s neck. Bucky has no idea how he’s ever going to let Steve go. He’ll lose a piece of himself the day Steve walks away from him and nothing will be able to fill the space, nothing ever could.

Bucky waited decades for this. Even if he didn’t know it for a while, at the back of his head and in the deepest parts of his heart, he was waiting for Steve. Bucky finally has him and the thought of losing him makes Bucky’s chest ache. Bucky waited seventy god damn years for this and Steve is worth it, but he doesn’t know if he can wait anymore, if he can go a single day without a dose of this.

When they pull apart and Steve opens his eyes again, Bucky’s heart, the nerves that make his entire body tense seem to settle. Steve is Bucky’s and Bucky is Steve’s and they’ve found each other time and time again. They’ve been taken from each other, they’ve fought their ways back, and Bucky would tear through the deepest core of the Earth if it meant finding his way back to Steve.

It’ll hurt when Steve has to leave him. It’ll feel like the only thing that’s ever mattered to Bucky is being ripped out of his helpless hands and maybe he’ll fight it, maybe he’ll refuse, but Bucky waited all this time. He can wait a little longer after this if he has to.


	2. All Yours, All Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It’s selfish for me to ask you to stay here.”_   
>  _“I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t want to, Bucky.”_   
>  _“You said it yourself, your life is there.”_   
>  _“And my new one is here. With you.”_
> 
> ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deep down, all I want for Steve and Bucky is Wakandan bliss and a long overdue happily ever after. So here's 8k of softness.

~

Bucky hopes every day that Steve doesn’t find a reason to leave. Bucky knows how it feels to touch Steve, to kiss him, wake up wrapped around each other too hot and unable to care and just the thought of that being taken away from him makes him feel sick. 

They’ve built something blissful together here. Bucky thinks about Steve and the apartment he envisions for the two of them and thinks it’d be beautiful, but there’s something about the cabin here in Wakanda that Bucky doesn’t want to let go of.

Steve pops his head in from the bathroom and Bucky smiles over. Bucky can see where Steve’s hair leaves droplets trickling down his shoulder and he’s wearing sweats that sit too low on his hips and Bucky has to remind himself that he meant to have a conversation before he gets carried away.

“Steve?”

“Hm?”

“Do you like it here?”

Steve walks over and flops onto the bed back first, slides himself up till he feels Bucky’s chest against him.

“It’s incredible.”

Steve rests his head against Bucky’s shoulder and Bucky wraps his arms around Steve’s waist, nuzzles against Steve’s neck. He breathes in the familiar scent and makes room when Steve pushes closer, tilts his head to grant Bucky further access.

“I don’t want you to go,” Bucky says softly.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Steve frowns.

“I know that. I mean I want you to stay. Here in Wakanda.”

“Bucky.”

“I know you want to fix everything. I know you want to go home and take me with you, but what if we didn’t? What if we made this home?”

Steve twists around and Bucky keeps his arms circled around Steve’s waist. Bucky watches as Steve repositions himself, sits in Bucky’s lap. Bucky reaches up to cup Steve’s face in his hand and Steve’s lips turn up in the corners when their eyes meet.

“I just got you back, Stevie, and every day I think about you leaving and I just. I need you here.”

In Bucky’s excitement, his heart started to race, and Steve’s hand on his own puts him at ease. Steve moves Bucky’s hand from his face and kisses Bucky’s knuckles, his wrist, presses his nose to Bucky’s skin and Bucky’s taken by the contact, hypnotized. 

“When I first came here with you, when you went under. I told T’Challa that if anyone found out you were here they’d come for you and he told me ‘let them try’.”

Steve pauses and tucks a loose strand of Bucky’s hair back into place and Bucky adds the little gesture to the infinite list of reasons Steve can’t leave him.

“What if they try, Bucky?”

“They won’t find me, Steve. C’mon, you know they won’t, you know this place is safer for me than anywhere else.”

“I want to be wherever you are,” Steve says. “And I want you to have the freedom to decide where that is and live peacefully.”

“You know what I wanted for us? I wanted that place in Brooklyn, too. With big windows and a fire escape. Where I could wake up every day and kiss you good morning and not pay attention to whose clothes are whose and play old records like the ones we used to love.”

Steve curls his fist into Bucky’s hair and draws their mouths together. Bucky tilts his head back and pulls at Steve and Steve’s hips jerk forward, thighs separating further so he can push himself closer to Bucky. Bucky pulls back slowly, rubs his thumb over Steve’s lower lip.

“Now all I see is this. We’re gonna stay here and I’m gonna be safe. And you’re gonna marry me, Steve Rogers.”

Bucky hasn’t let go of Steve and Steve looks at him with wide, wondrous eyes. There’s surprise in Steve’s expression, and with it there’s contentment, there’s _I didn’t know which one of us would say it first_ , and above all, pure, starry-eyed love. 

“Oh yeah?”

Bucky hums. “It’s you, Steve. You’re forever. Might as well make it official.”

Steve leans down to kiss Bucky again and Bucky sucks Steve’s lip into his mouth, rubs his hands over Steve’s back.

“My life is at home in the states, Bucky. I’d have to go back, I have to talk to Sam and Nat and- and how do we know if I can stay permanently?”

Bucky smiles up at Steve so hard he can feel the corners of his eyes crinkle. Bucky flattens his palms against Steve’s neck, traces his thumbs over either side of Steve’s jawline.

“So you’ll stay?”

“Bucky, I know I said I wanted us to go back to Brooklyn, but it doesn’t really matter does it? I just want to be with you,” Steve says, locking his fingers behind Bucky’s neck. “Of course I’ll stay. God, all I want is to stay wherever you are, Bucky. You’re all I know, Buck, you’re home.”

Bucky’s chest tightens with that familiar feeling of Steve’s grip on his heart tightening. He guides Steve to lower his head and kisses him softly. When they pull apart, it sinks in that Steve is willing to give up everything for Bucky. Bucky feels selfish and angry with himself and when he looks away, Steve tilts his chin up.

“What’s the matter?”

Bucky sighs, grabs Steve’s hand and twines their fingers together.

“It’s selfish for me to ask you to stay here.”

“I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t want to, Bucky.”

“You said it yourself, your life is there.”

“And my new one is here. With you.”

Bucky doesn’t say anything, just tucks his head against Steve’s chest so Steve’s chin rests against Bucky’s hair. Bucky breathes Steve in, holds him tighter, sighs softly when Steve plays with his hair.

“You falling asleep on me?”

Bucky lifts his head and Steve smiles down at him, climbs off Bucky’s lap to his disappointment. Bucky reaches out and grabs for Steve’s hands so that their touches linger till Steve’s out of reach. Bucky throws his head back and shuts his eyes, lets himself become overtaken by his thoughts.

Steve and Bucky are a part of each other in ways that only two people who get lost and find each other time and time again can be. Bucky’s broken, but Steve holds the pieces of him together, puts the puzzle together to create a picture that makes more sense. Bucky thinks that maybe he is selfish, but love is selfish and loving Steve is having an insatiable hunger for him, a need for Bucky to bury himself in Steve's very bones and make two people one.

Bucky lifts his head and smiles slowly when he feels the bed sink in front of him. Steve makes himself comfortable and pats the space next to him. Bucky happily obliges and rolls over, stretches his arm over Steve’s chest and tips his head back so Steve can kiss him.

Bucky lets Steve comb through his hair, twist it around his fingers and then let it loose. It soothes him along with Steve’s heartbeat against his ear and Bucky starts to doze.

“You know that makes me sleepy,” Bucky mumbles.

Steve smiles down when Bucky looks up, doesn’t stop playing with Bucky’s hair.

“Know how much you like it.”

Bucky doesn’t argue, just cuddles tighter. “I think we should talk to T’Challa about you staying as soon as possible.”

“Tomorrow, then.”

Bucky nods against Steve’s chest and lets himself drift. Steve keeps playing with his hair and Bucky falls asleep content, with nothing to dream about because everything he could possibly dream of is already here.

~

Bucky wakes up in an overslept haze. It takes him a minute to realize Steve isn’t next to him and when he calls out, there’s no answer. Bucky gets dressed figuring Steve must be outside or up in the tower for something.

Bucky sees Steve with T’Challa when he leaves, walking towards the cabin. Bucky meets them halfway and Steve wraps his arm around Bucky’s waist as soon as he’s within reach and Bucky looks at the ground, feels his face flush with heat.

“Good morning, White Wolf.”

“T’Challa,” Bucky says with a bow of his head.

“Captain Rogers was just asking me about the arrangement you suggested.”

Bucky looks at Steve and Steve pulls Bucky in a little tighter.

“It would have been better to come to you first. I’m sorry I didn’t, I just. I wasn’t thinking about anything else,” Bucky explains, staring at Steve like the sun that beats down on them is shining out of Steve’s ass.

If you asked Bucky, he’d say it really is.

“No apology necessary,” T’Challa smiles. “It’s never been my intention to open up our borders to outsiders, but I felt I owed it to help you.”

“I’m sure you know how much I appreciate it.”

“I do,” T’Challa nods. “I also know how much you care for Captain Rogers and how much he cares for you in return. It takes time to get acclimated to the ways of this nation, but he is welcome to stay with you as long as either of you would like.”

“Really?” Bucky replies, knowing full well he sounds like an over eager, excited child. 

T’Challa nods and his smile widens.

“We also discussed arrangements for travel back and forth so Captain Rogers can pack his belongings. I’ll have to finalize details, but he can leave within the week.”

Bucky manages a nod. He’s stuck in his head, suddenly overwhelmed by the reality they’re walking into. For a fleeting moment, Bucky thinks this is all too good to be true, but it sets in that there is only one reality these days and this is it. It’s him and Steve and people fighting for them, not against them, and Bucky’s heart soars when he thinks about it.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Bucky tells T’Challa.

“Neither of you can apparently. I must go now, I have a meeting to attend. We’ll talk more later.”

Steve and Bucky simultaneously bow their heads as T’Challa says goodbye. When he’s turned his back, Bucky slings his arm around Steve’s waist and kisses him hello.

“You’re really staying, huh?”

Steve just nods and the movement brushes their noses together. Bucky guides Steve back inside and they spend the rest of the morning in bed tangled up with each other, kissing till their lips are too red.

~

T’Challa and the general stand with Steve and Bucky in front of the jet to see Steve off and Bucky lingers close to Steve’s side. T’Challa gives them a moment alone and Steve turns to face Bucky head on and cups the back of Bucky’s head in his hand.

“Don’t be long,” Bucky says, voice soft even in its raspiness.

Steve smiles and leans forward to press his lips to Bucky’s forehead and Bucky chews his lip, lets his hand reach out to rest on Steve’s hip and slide up to pull Steve against him. 

“I love you,” Steve tells him, voice equally soft.

Bucky says it back into Steve’s neck, his palms pressed against Steve’s back and Steve’s own arm wrapped around Bucky’s shoulders. They stay like that a little longer than necessary and even then, Bucky’s not quite ready to let Steve go. Bucky watches Steve board the aircraft and it leaves promptly. Bucky stares at the space it had taken up and then down at his shoes and he only lift his head when he feels T’Challa’s arm on his shoulder.

“Do not worry, Sergeant Barnes. He will be back.”

Bucky nods and takes a deep breath.

“In the meantime, can I ask one more favor?”

~

“I understand if you say no. You’ve let me in, you’re letting Steve stay here, and I know how badly you want to protect Wakanda and your people,” Bucky explains. “I would never ask you to let in anyone who might risk your nation’s safety.” 

“Is it a lot of people?”

“Not at all. Three or four.”

“And you’re sure they wouldn’t turn their backs if the price was high enough?” T’Challa challenges.

“Kill me if any of them ever does. Besides, they’d be selling me out, too.”

T’Challa raises his eyebrows and General Okoye shrugs beside him. “I’m sure if I advise against it, you’ll do it anyway. Besides, he’s proven to be worthy of your trust so far.”

T’Challa nods. “That won’t be necessary,” he says to Bucky. “I’ll need names. And I’m sure you haven’t completely thought this out.”

“No,” Bucky admits with a sigh.

“I know someone who might be willing to help.”

~

Bucky gets officially introduced to the Queen Mother of Wakanda, Ramonda, just a couple of days later.

“It’s an honor,” Bucky says, bowing his head.

“The pleasure’s mine,” she says, a regal smile stretched across her face. “My son tells me you could use my help with some planning.”

“I would hate to impose on you.”

“There is no imposition, James. I’m happy to help.”

Bucky feels weird hearing his first name, but he figures he won’t dictate what Ramonda calls him. If anything, it’s not so strange the way she says it. It’s motherly, warm, and Bucky decides he doesn’t mind at all.

“Now, do you have any ideas to start with?”

“All I know is that I want it to be at sunset.”

“So you’ll need a location with a view.”

“The views are incredible no matter where you are,” Bucky notes. “I wouldn’t know where to pick specifically.”

“I have a suggestion, but we would need my son’s approval.”

“What is it, mother?”

“Warrior Falls,” she says. “Would they be allowed to hold it there?”

“I don’t see why not. To my knowledge, it’s not solely for ritual combat.”

Bucky’s eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t question anything.

“You would like it,” T’Challa adds.

Bucky looks from T’Challa to Ramonda and she nods once. “You would.”

“The falls, then,” he agrees. “Should we go take a look?”

“You’re planning this thing, James. Save some surprise for yourself. You’ll love it, I’m sure.”

Bucky smiles and takes Ramonda’s word for it. 

~

Bucky wakes up one morning overcome with thoughts about the plans. He doesn’t move from bed for a while and decides he could use a break. Instead of getting dressed to run over to discuss more, he rolls out of bed with no urgency, steps out to feed the goats, bends down to pet their furry little heads when they butt his legs.

“White Wolf,” a little voice calls from a little ways from Bucky.

He smiles when he sees her strolling over, Mkhokeli’s little sister who tags along to Bucky’s cabin sometimes.

“Hello, Ana.”

“I brought you something,” she says with a shy smile, reaching out to hand him a flower she held behind her back.

“Oh, thank you,” Bucky smiles, touching the tip of her nose with the petals. “It’s beautiful.”

Ana smiles and in that sweet little voice of hers, tells Bucky that it’s her favorite flower in the world.

“Well how can I take it from you if you love it so much?”

“They grow in the garden,” she tells him. “I have so many.”

Bucky grins and thanks her again. He promises her he’s going to water it and let it grow as best he can. In the middle of her telling him about all her favorite flowers and their different colors, Bucky has an idea.

“Do you think you can do me a favor, Ana? It’s really special and I think your flowers would be perfect for it.”

She stares at him curiously, her big, brown eyes lit up with excitement. “What is it, White Wolf?”

~

Bucky’s been keeping a list of details he needs to finalize. He feels like an imbecile for not making rings his top priority, but his thoughts have been scattered. They still need to finalize who’s coming, figure out when they’ll hold the ceremony, who will officiate. There’s still questions to be answered and details to touch back on and it overwhelms Bucky when he imagines this going any other way than exactly how Steve deserves. He tells Ramonda and she pats Bucky’s hand reassuringly. 

“Don’t worry, James. Everything will come together,” she says warmly, in a tone that can only be so calm and reassuring coming from a mother.

“I know, I’m sorry, I just. I want everything to be perfect.”

“Of course you do,” she says with a gentle pat on Bucky’s hand. “But one thing at a time.”

~

Bucky stands outside in the shade watching Mkhokeli and his little sister play with a baby goat late one morning when T’Challa comes to find him. The children greet him with swift bows of their heads and big smiles and Bucky watches T’Challa force a smile.

“Is everything alright?”

“Come, Sergeant Barnes. It’s urgent.”

“What’s wrong?”

Thoughts flash at the speed of light through Bucky’s head. _The plans have been for nothing, they can’t do it. Someone found out I’m here. I have to fight again. Steve can’t come back._

T’Challa doesn’t answer, just raises a silencing hand in the air. Bucky follows with his heart pounding and his mind foggy. Only when the two of them are in the privacy of the tower with General Okoye at the door does T’Challa speak.

“Captain Rogers has been hurt.”

Bucky can only think of one other time when his body couldn’t handle the rush of emotions that hit him like an avalanche. It was on the helicarrier the second time he fought Steve. Steve told Bucky who he really was, that he wouldn’t fight him. Fear, anger, sadness, and confusion all tore through Bucky relentlessly and the only reaction he could manage was physical.

“How? Is he alright?” Bucky manages, voice too calm.

“Easy, Sergeant,” T’Challa warns him and Bucky shakes his head, his fists clenched at his sides.

Bucky has to see him. Bucky has to find Steve and make sure he’s alright and in one piece and Bucky needs to tell Steve that he loves him.

“Is he alright?” Bucky says, louder than before.

“Do not raise your voice,” General Okoye commands from the door and T’Challa waves her off, tells her not to worry.

He jumps into the explanation and Bucky listens intently, his nerves still sparked, his heart about ready to break through his bones right out of his skin. Steve wrote a letter to Tony Stark after their feud and didn’t want to leave any loose ends untied. He called Tony to see if they could talk and Stark agreed. Like things always seem to go with the two of them, the tension only grew and according to Sam, they were pretty beaten up.

“Did Sam give you anymore details?”

“Captain Rogers suffered multiple contusions and lacerations-”

Bucky slams his fist against a table and ignores the crack he hears upon contact. Bucky’s gut tells him that Stark is his for this. His heart tells him that all that matters is that Steve is alive, Steve’s ok, Steve is Bucky’s. It feels like there’s something in him waking up, ripping through, tearing him limb from limb to take his place. Something that’s willing to tear anyone that tries to harm Steve to shreds.

“His wrist is sprained and his most severe bruises are to his face and ribs. They kept him overnight for observation, but he’s out now, I believe.”

Bucky collapses into a seat, lets his head fall into his hands. He hates the rage that doesn’t seem to settle. He hates feeling trapped, unable to protect Steve or fight for him. He hates that he feels so out of control.

“I’m sorry about that table.”

“You must try to control your anger, Sergeant Barnes. I understand you’re upset and scared for Steve’s safety, but he can fight for himself.”

“I know that,” Bucky replies, shaking his head. “I just hate that he has to at all.”

“You care for him very deeply,” T’Challa observes.

Bucky nods, messes up his hair in frustration and rubs away the tension in his neck. T’Challa gives him a minute alone and Bucky laughs to himself, a mad, breathless laugh at his own behavior. Steve’s always done that. Brought out the deepest, most visceral reactions from Bucky. Before the war when Bucky would find Steve in an alley getting roughed up, Steve would have to muster everything in him to drag Bucky off the guy. 

That day in the air, Bucky’s emotions ripped through him with every swing he took at Steve, every punch he landed. He flinches away from the thoughts now, breathes deep to bring himself back down.

“Sergeant Barnes.”

“Hi, Shuri.”

“My brother told me what happened.”

Bucky smiles weakly. “Looks like there’s still some Soldier left, after all, huh?”

“No,” Shuri scoffs. “You were angry and scared. Your reaction was natural for you. I only came here to make sure those weren’t the thoughts you started to have, but I’m late, clearly.”

“I don’t really think that,” Bucky says. “At least I don’t think so. I don’t know.”

“That’s not who you are,” Shuri reassures him.

Bucky only nods and stands up when Shuri does. 

“I think I just need to loosen up for a bit.”

Shuri nods approvingly. “Do that. T’Challa isn’t angry with you, by the way.”

Bucky follows her out and bows his head as he exits. “I’m sorry,” Bucky adds on his way out.

“Apologize to the table,” T’Challa says with a sly smirk. 

Bucky manages a small smile of his own and doesn’t let himself feel the weight of his own emotions till he’s behind his own walls.

~

In the days after hearing about Steve’s fight with Stark, Bucky crawls slowly out of the wreckage of his own worry. He focuses all his attention on planning with the help of T’Challa’s mother. There haven’t been any further updates from Steve or Sam except one to let Bucky know Steve’s doing just fine and that there’s no need to worry.

“There’s still so much to do… I need rings and something to wear and Steve will need something, too, right?”

“Relax, James,” Ramonda says warmly. “We can help with whatever you need.”

Bucky notes the look Ramonda exchanges with her son, but doesn’t comment on it. 

~

Luckily, Bucky’s dove into finishing up the plans because Steve announces his arrival sooner than Bucky expects. Steve asks T’Challa not to tell Bucky so that it’ll be a surprise and T’Challa, the good friend that he is, tells Bucky immediately. 

“I know it’s not practical, but do you still think we can pull off doing it the same night he gets here?”

“I’m sure we can,” Ramonda tells him.

“If we can’t-“

“We will.”

Bucky nods and with a deep breath, dives back in.

“Who’s been given the ok to come to Wakanda? And how can we get them here before Steve?”

“Already on it,” Shuri chimes in. “Only two of your friends will be able to make it,” Shuri says apologetically.

“I’ll ensure that they arrive the day before,” T’Challa adds.

Bucky’s heartbeat picks up because suddenly, miraculously, everything is really happening. Steve would tell Bucky not to be nervous if he was here, to leave that up to him. Bucky manages to calm down when he reminds himself that no matter how they do this, Steve would be happy. 

~

 

The night before Steve’s set to arrive, Bucky’s about ready to pull his hair out. He’s been kept in his cabin because none of the guests know that he’s here or what they’re in Wakanda for and T’Challa’s decided they should keep it that way until tomorrow. For security purposes of course.

Bucky’s let his nerves get the best of him, second guessing this entire thing. He worries that Steve’s friends will say something, that this perfect future will be torn from their hands when someone finds out where Bucky is.

Bucky’s pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. It’s T’Challa’s tailors sent by him personally to finish his fitting. Luckily, Bucky still had a couple of Steve’s things shoved next to his in his dresser that he was able to give to the tailors to give them an idea of Steve’s size. Bucky stands perfectly still, quiet while they work, and gets lost in his own head again.

He’s excited for tomorrow despite his anxiousness, but he can’t help the parts of him that are sad. Bucky wishes his family could be here, his sisters at least. He wishes his and Steve’s circumstances were normal and that they could have the fairytale day Steve deserves and that Bucky’s sure he wants. And those thoughts bring a landslide of guilt falling on Bucky because T’Challa and his family have done so much and he’s standing here whining in his head. 

He shakes his head to snap himself out of it, stiffens his lip and watches the tailor fix one last thing before he’s allowed to change back into something comfortable. Bucky thanks them and bids them goodbye and goes to his bathroom. He grabs the little case that sits on the countertop and flips it open to stare at the bands inside. They’re simple, silver with a strip of darker metal in the middle. Vibranium.

“For your matched strengths,” T’Challa said when he gave them to Bucky.

Bucky smooths his finger over the cool surface and places them back in the box. He looks up into the mirror and shakes his head at his reflection. He’s scruffy and his hair looks longer to him every day and he thinks he should probably clean up for tomorrow.

He gives his reflection another glance before he turns to answer the knock at the door.

“Sergeant Barnes.”

“How’s it going in the city?” Bucky says quickly. “Is everyone there? Are they asking a lot of questions?”

“Easy,” T’Challa smiles. “Everything is fine.”

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure. I only came to see how you were doing. You must be nervous.”

Bucky sighs and nods, smiles reluctantly. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

“One more night,” T’Challa reminds him. “I should head back. The guests have been shown to their rooms, but I want to be there just in case.”

“I speak for Steve, too, when I say how much everything you’ve allowed is appreciated. I know I’ve already told you this, but I know how much you want to protect this place and letting strangers in probably wasn’t an easy decision.”

“I trust you, Sergeant. Not enough people have.”

Bucky opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He nods and thanks T’Challa once more and proceeds to struggle to relax until the sun begins to brighten the sky little by little. Only then does Bucky drift off to a dreamless sleep.

~

Bucky wakes up later than he planned to find out that Steve will be arriving earlier than expected. Bucky curses himself and rushes to freshen up and get dressed, and is greeted when he leaves the cabin by some familiar faces.

“Ana, Mkhokeli, Akhona,” Bucky says, suddenly at ease.

“It’s today, yes?” Ana says.

“It is.”

“Can we come?”

Bucky bends down so he’s level with the kids. “Of course you can. As long as your mothers say it’s ok.”

Bucky’s left alone as they kids take off in a hurry, a high pitched chant of “Mama!” echoing around them. He smiles as he watches them and they come running back, their mothers staring off at them from the doorways of their homes. Bucky assumes from smiles across the board that they’re in the clear and then a light bulb goes off.

“How would you like to help me out with something?”

Bucky explains to the children what each of their roles will be and they happily oblige with nodding heads and big smiles. Bucky tells them he’ll let them know when it’s time and waves them off when he sees T’Challa walking his way.

“Time to be the welcome committee,” T’Challa jokes.

~

Bucky feels butterflies in his stomach. The closer he gets to the landing site, the more the wings flutter, the harder his heart beats.

Bucky weakens in the knees as soon as he lays eyes on him. Steve walks out all clean shaven with his hair a little shorter. From a distance, Bucky can make out the bruising on Steve’s jaw, the mostly healed cuts that mark Steve’s skin along his brow. Even beat up, Steve takes the breath right out of Bucky’s lungs. 

Bucky walks too fast and Steve meets him halfway and if there weren’t eyes on them, they’d kiss like people do in the movies, like they can’t breathe without the other.

They keep it tame instead, kiss so briefly they’re sure it’s hardly seen. Bucky wraps his arms around Steve and Steve pulls Bucky tight against him and they stay like that for a beat too long. Bucky feels Steve’s breath on his neck and rests his palm against Steve’a jaw, thumbs at the mended skin near Steve’s eye.

“Hi, Stevie.”

“Miss me?”

“Don’t make me tell you how bad.”

Steve’s eyes flutter closed when Bucky touches him so gently. Bucky skims his knuckles over Steve’s jaw, frowns at the yellowed bruise.

“I was worried sick about you, sweetheart.”

Steve places his hand over Bucky’s and leans into it and Bucky weakens all over again. “I didn’t want to fight, Buck. I’m sorry I worried you.”

Bucky shakes his head. “You’re standing here all roughed up and you’re apologizing to me,” Bucky says with a sad smile. 

Steve just shrugs and lets Bucky muss up his hair a little bit. They join T’Challa moments later and he nods subtly at Bucky and Bucky gives him a nod back.

“Welcome back, Captain Rogers. It’s always good to see you.”

“Thanks for having me back.”

“Sergeant Barnes tells me you guys have a dinner planned?”

“That’s news to me,” Steve says with a smile and Bucky has to bite his back.

“I’ll let you both get ready.”

Bucky and T’Challa exchange another look and Bucky pauses for a moment, looks at the single bag slung over Steve’s shoulder.

“Where are your things?”

“I figured I could unload later,” Steve says. “Wanted to see you first.”

Relief settles in Bucky’s stomach and he leads Steve to the cabin. The whole way there they touch in some manner. Hands brushing or hips bumping and Bucky hardly takes a breath when the door closes behind them before Steve’s on him, forcing him backwards till Bucky’s legs hit the bed.

Bucky grabs Steve’s hips, smiles up at him, and they fall into their rhythm so fast, so easily. Steve leans over Bucky and Bucky kisses him like he wanted to before. Hard, heavy, like if they separate Bucky’s life will cease the moment they do. 

“I missed you,” Steve mumbles near Bucky’s ear. 

Bucky hums, brings Steve back with a guiding hand. “I missed you, too, but we’re going to be late for dinner.”

Steve slides off Bucky, but Bucky catches Steve’s hand, pulls him back. 

“Thought you said we’re gonna be late.”

“Just one more,” Bucky says before he kisses Steve.

He moves his mouth softly, parts his lips so Steve parts his own. Their fingers lock together and Steve squeezes Bucky’s hand just before they draw away from each other.

“Am I supposed to wear something nice?”

“Well what have you got?”

“I have a couple of button downs, I think,” Steve says, digging through his bag. “Might be a little wrinkled.”

Bucky steps closer and holds out a shirt and Steve stares at it curiously.

“How about this?”

It’s black with gold trim around the raised collar that comes up to the middle of the neck. The sleeves have the same trim at the ends and Steve traces his finger over the pattern.

“Looks like it was made for the king.”

“Figured I should add more than blankets and t-shirts to my closet,” Bucky shrugs. “I think it’ll fit. Try it.”

Bucky smiles when Steve looks in the bathroom mirror. It fits perfectly, Bucky can tell. Steve strips down again and takes a shower and Bucky follows just after him. When he comes out in just a towel, Steve stares obviously and Bucky feels his cheeks flush, but he flashes that lopsided smile anyway.

“Noticed you’re all clean shaven now.”

“Showing off the bruises,” Steve jokes. “They did it in the hospital.”

Bucky shakes his head and kisses the battered skin. “What about me? This is getting a little out of hand, no?” Bucky prompts, stroking his facial hair with his metal fingers.

“I like the scruff.”

So Bucky keeps it. He pulls his own shirt on and admires the pattern spun in silver in the same places as Steve’s shirt. T’Challa told him that the designs on each shirt fit into the other, like puzzle pieces. When Steve’s attention is elsewhere, Bucky slides the ring box into his pocket. He pokes his head back into the room to find Steve pulling on a pair of jeans and Bucky shakes his head, tosses black slacks to Steve.

“So prepared,” Steve says, but there’s a question in his knitted eyebrows, a curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

“Just want tonight to be perfect.”

Bucky ties some of his hair back into a bun, the rest of it left to hang freely. Steve stands behind him in the bathroom and leans forward to kiss the side of Bucky’s neck.

“You look real handsome, Buck.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Bucky smiles, breaking a kiss too soon when he hears a gentle knock outside.

Bucky steps out and gathers the children away from the cabin, out of earshot from Steve.

“Is it time, White Wolf?”

“Almost. Why don’t you guys head over there, alright?” Bucky looks back at the cabin and slides his hand into his pocket as stealthy as he can and closes Mkhokeli’s hand around the box. “Keep these safe. Go find Shuri, she’ll go with you.”

They leave in a fit of excited giggles and Bucky watches them till he sees they’re no longer alone.

“What was that about?”

“The kids? They just wanted to say hi.”

Steve nods and pulls Bucky towards him with his hand wrapped around Bucky’s wrist. They kiss softly and Steve combs through Bucky’s hair, scratches against the back of Bucky’s neck. Bucky presses his head against Steve’s and touches Steve’s mouth gently, strokes his lip, his jawline.

Bucky peers outside and the sun is low, casting the world outside in gold. Bucky’s heart thumps too hard for a few quick beats and when Steve looks at him, everything’s at ease.

“Let’s get going.”

~

Bucky and Steve walk side by side, fingers loosely twined together. T’Challa and his mother greet them and guide the two to board a small aircraft.

“Where exactly are you taking me, Bucky?”

“T’Challa recommended it. It’ll only be a few minutes, right?”

Steve looks out through the glass at the land and Bucky stands close behind admiring the view. It’s even more breathtaking from above. They land effortlessly and T’Challa leads them out, Ramonda at his side. 

“Bucky, you didn’t have to do all this.”

“You still don’t know just how much you mean to me, do you, Stevie?”

Steve rests his forehead against Bucky’s and looks over when T’Challa and Ramonda walk into the rocks they stand near. Bucky notices it when Steve does and they both perk up at the sound of rushing water, quiet and hidden. Bucky pulls Steve with him and they duck their heads just in case.

“Wait here,” Bucky says quietly.

He kicks off his shoes and ignores Steve’s call and pokes his head through when he gets to the other side, nods to give the signal. He joins Steve again and guides him through the dimly lit dark to the mouth of the small cave.

Bucky looks at Steve when they come out on the other side and smiles so hard it hurts his cheeks. Steve’s mouth hangs open and his eyes wander from the sky to the water just steps away from their feet to the familiar faces that stand around them.

“I knew it,” Bucky hears from beside him and he turns to see Sam flashing a gap-toothed smile.

“Sam?” Steve says with a look over his shoulder.

Bucky’s too struck by Steve’s reaction to fully notice the collective gasp that comes from around them.

“Buck,” Steve breathes, his grip on Bucky’s hand bone crushingly tight. “What is this, Bucky?”

“I told you, didn’t I?” Bucky says. “We’ll stay and I’ll be safe,” Bucky reminds Steve.

“And I’m gonna marry you,” Steve finishes for him.

“Good, otherwise all this would have been a waste.”

Steve sniffs a laugh and his eyes well up and Bucky shakes his head, presses it against Steve’s. Bucky smooths his thumb against the skin below Steve’s eye, ignores the stares he knows burn through the both of them.

“Don’t get soft on me now, Stevie. We’ve got a wedding to get to here.”

Steve flattens his hand atop Bucky’s and they both smile when they hear a sniff from the small group of guests. Steve looks around, still awestruck. Sam and Nat stand beside the water, T’Challa’s family not far from them. 

T’Challa chants something that the few Wakandans in attendance chant back at him. He then introduces Bucky and Steve to a priest and Bucky thanks his lucky stars for T’Challa. Without him, Bucky would have nothing, especially not this, and T’Challa pulled out all the stops for Bucky.

“My mother thought it might be nice for part of this to be traditional for you,” T’Challa explains.

“Thank you,” Bucky says sincerely, both to T’Challa and to the priest.

The priest calls out in Wakandan and on cue, Ana and Akhona step down from their spots and walk through the water, hands held tight together to keep steady. They each hold a flower in their free hands and Bucky bends down, nods at Steve so he does the same. Ana tucks her flower behind Bucky’s ear and Akhona places hers behind Steve’s and they giggle quietly as they walk away to rejoin the other guests. Steve squeezes Bucky’s hand and stares at him lovingly. Bucky can’t see anything but Steve, doesn’t feel a thing but Steve’s hand in his hand and his heart racing as fast as the waterfalls spill over the ledge they stand on.

The priest says his introductions in his language and repeats them in English afterward. Bucky notices Steve’s foot splashing softly in the water and he leans forward, presses his lips to Steve’s temple.

“Easy, sweetheart. Don’t be nervous.”

Steve nods and slows his fidgets down till they’re nothing. They stand with their hands linked in between them and Bucky’s heartbeat picks up when they’re given time to say their vows.

“I’ll go first since Steve probably has no idea what he’s going to say,” Bucky says with a smile and the people around them laugh. Bucky looks into Steve’s eyes and every idea he kept in his thoughts for today disappears and Steve’s no longer the only one figuring out what to say right on the spot.

Bucky takes a deep breath and keeps his gaze focused on Steve’s.

“I uh… I always think of you first. You come before me in every way, Steve, you always have. When we were kids and you were always getting sick, when I was drafted and had to leave you, when I was on that table. All I could think about was you. Everything comes back to you. You’re my first thought when I wake up, my last before I go to sleep, and everywhere in between. You’re my first everything. My first love and my last and forever with you is nowhere near enough, but I’ll take what I can get. I love you, Stevie. Always have.” 

Bucky shuts his eyes, but his face breaks into a grin when he hears the collective _aww_ around them and even a little sniff.

“How am I supposed to top that?”

Bucky’s expression softens and he squeezes Steve’s hand. 

“I’m sure you’ve got something.”

“Bucky, you’ve had my heart since I can remember and through everything you never let it go. Your strength, your bravery, your heart all inspire me every day and I can only hope I make you as proud and happy to call me yours as I am to call you mine. You’re the piece of me that was always missing and I think deep down I always knew that. And I think that what we have is bigger than us. We’ve found our ways back to each other over and over, fought tooth and nail to stay together, and I would do it all again to keep you with me. I know we were separated for a long time, but I never truly let you go. I always held onto you Bucky. I love you. Always will.”

“See? Worried for nothing,” Bucky says, sure the wetness in his eyes is obvious.

They commence with the rings and Mkhokeli joins them to present the box. The priest removes them and passes each to Steve and Bucky to slide onto each other’s fingers.

“I had some help. With everything.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Steve says to the child, who looks up at him happily.

T’Challa guides them through another set of vows as they slide their rings into place. Bucky didn’t realize how hard his heart was beating this whole time. It seems to come to a peak right as they’re ordered to repeat the vows.

“James Barnes. Steve Rogers. You are, from this moment on, declared to one another.”

The priest says something else in Wakandan and Bucky fixes the flower behind Steve’s ear when it comes a little loose. The sunset paints the sky in vibrant colors and the water beneath their feet isn’t so cold to Bucky anymore and he leans forward a little.

“There’s no getting out of this now,” Bucky says softly just before they’re told they may kiss.

“There never was.”

Bucky grabs Steve’s face in his hands and Steve wraps one arm around Bucky’s waist, presses his free hand to Bucky’s neck. They kiss in a haze of pink and gold, lips moving together trying not to smile when they hear the clapping around them. They don’t let go for a moment and Bucky hears Sam say something about saving it for the bedroom, but he just drags it out.

When they separate, T’Challa pats Bucky’s shoulder.

“Congratulations, my friends.”

“Do take care of one another,” the priest advises them. “I’m glad I could do my part.”

“Thank you for all of this,” Bucky replies, his arm slung around Steve’s waist now to keep him in place. “I wish I could truly repay everything you’ve done for me-“

“Please, Sergeant Barnes. Do not worry.”

Bucky bows his head, repeats the motion directed at Ramonda, so Steve does the same.

“Thank you,” Steve adds. “I still don’t know what to say.”

T’Challa smiles happily and guides them back out to the other side of the falls. Steve hugs Sam hello and Bucky can see how tightly he squeezes Steve. Bucky claps Sam’s shoulder and Sam rolls his eyes, pulls Bucky into a hug.

“Congrats, man. You guys deserve this.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

Bucky turns to find Steve and he’s hugging Nat so tight it looks like she can hardly breathe. Shuri comes over just before Bucky goes to interrupt.

“Can’t believe you did it, Sergeant.”

“Couldn’t have without your family.”

“Your family, too,” Shuri says with a gentle smile. “No hugs, softy,” she says to Bucky’s amusement. “Wouldn’t want you to crush me with that thing,” she adds with a nod at the vibranium arm.

Bucky raises his hands in surrender and then he feels Steve’s arms wrap around him from behind.

“Hey, Stevie.”

Bucky tilts a little so Steve can kiss him and Bucky smiles against his lips. They hear the click of a camera and Bucky looks sideways at Sam.

“What? You guys need pictures of this. I took a couple of the ceremony so please, only tip the photographer if you feel obligated.”

“Send me everything.”

“Sure thing, Cap.”

Sam snaps pictures through the night. It’s small and familiar, hardly a reception, but Bucky couldn’t ask for anything better. There’s music and food and everyone is smiling and Bucky can’t take his eyes off Steve for a second.

They both remove themselves from conversations to come together because a few minutes apart is far too long. Bucky wraps his arms around Steve’s waist from behind and Steve leans in, locks their fingers together against his stomach.

“I still can’t believe this.”

“Did you love it?”

“Are you kidding me, Buck? Of course I did.”

Bucky nods, rests his chin on Steve’s shoulder. “I know you’re going to be mad at me for saying this, but you and this entire day are way more than I deserve. I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.”

“If you know I’m going to be mad, why are you still talking?”

Steve throws his head back and laughs. Bucky shakes his head, buries it in Steve’s neck, lets his favorite sound ring out around them.

“I love you, Steve. I could give you the world and I still wouldn’t feel like it’s enough.”

“I’ve got you,” Steve replies. “That’s all I need.”

Bucky kisses the side of Steve’s neck, his temple, and when Steve twists around a little, Bucky kisses him sweetly on the mouth.

They’re kindly interrupted by one of the kids tugging at the bottom of Bucky’s shirt.

“Hey, Ana.”

She waves her hand towards herself and Bucky bends so he’s level with her. She leans forward and cups her hand over Bucky’s ear. 

“The surprise for your Steve is ready,” she whispers.

Bucky pulls back and flashes her a grin. “I can’t wait to see.”

“See what?”

Ana puts her finger to her lips and shakes her head and Bucky shrugs. “Can’t say.”

“Come, White Wolf,” Ana says with another tug. “He wants to take pictures,” she adds, with a point at Sam.

Bucky picks up the little girl and she shrieks happily as she’s carried over to the group. Sam snaps pictures of her in Bucky’s arms, one of her fixing the flower behind his ear. Bucky gathers the children around him to take a picture with all three of them and he catches Steve staring.

Sam directs them all on how to pose and T’Challa jumps in and when they start to argue, Bucky snatches Sam’s camera away. He tells everyone to prepare for a group photo. It takes a couple of tries and an automatic timer, but Bucky smiles at the end results. One photo is a mess of everyone trying to get into place and in the second, Steve and Bucky are staring at each other while everyone else is looking into the camera.

~

“Won’t be seeing you for a while,” Nat says as she prepares to leave with Sam.

“What did it take for you guys to come here anyway?”

“We had to sign NDA’s,” Nat answers.

“Thanks for coming all this way,” Bucky chimes in. “It means a lot.”

“Take care of our guy,” Sam says. “Today was great.”

Nat leans in for a hug and she rubs Steve’s back. “I’ll see you.”

Steve nods and pulls Sam in for a hug, too, squeezes him tight enough that Sam groans.

“Give me a call soon, alright? And take care.”

Bucky and Steve watch Sam and Nat board their aircraft and as quickly as they arrived, they’re gone. Bucky thanks Ramonda a couple of more times for everything, smiles when she pulls him into a warm hug.

“I’m happy for you, James. I’m glad everything turned out well.”

Steve and Bucky say their thank you’s and good night’s and ride in their own aircraft back to Bucky’s home. 

“Seems like it’s over so soon,” Bucky says sadly, staring up at the deep blue sky.

“Doesn’t even feel real.”

Bucky and Steve walk side by side, arms wrapped around each other. They’re still barefoot and the flowers behind their ears are wilted, and Bucky leans against Steve tiredly. All the social interaction took a lot out of him, but Steve was practically glowing he was so happy, and Bucky would give anything to see him like that always.

“Bucky,” Steve calls softly when they get back to his cabin.

Bucky follows Steve’s gaze and Bucky smiles when he sees. Ana and Mkhokeli’s family strung together the same flowers that Ana had given to Bucky that day and hung them over the entryway to the cabin. Their petals form a path to the doorway, too, and Bucky smiles back at the village in the distance, silently thanks them for the gift.

“The little girl,” Steve says. “Ana. She helped you with this.”

Bucky nods and leans his chin on Steve’s shoulder.

They duck inside together and Bucky half undresses, the heat heavy around them, so Steve follows suit. Bucky stares down at the ring on his metal finger and Steve comes up behind him, kisses Bucky’s shoulder.

Because Steve knows Bucky better than he knows himself, he tells him, “If you want, we can put in on a chain so you can wear it around your neck.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Of course not, Buck.”

Bucky turns around and wraps his arms around Steve’s neck, plays with the ends of his hair. Steve’s staring at Bucky so intensely, Bucky has to cast his eyes downward. Steve reaches around behind Bucky and Bucky looks up as Steve loosens the bun on the back of Bucky’s head and Bucky bites back a smile.

“Handsome as ever.”

Bucky’s skin gets hot again. He shuts his eyes and leans so his forehead touches Steve’s.

“Are you tired?”

“Why? Got something you need to keep me awake for?”

Bucky answers with a kiss. It’s desperate, long, making up for a day of subduing their interactions. Steve clings to him and their mouths move slowly together. Bucky sighs when Steve’s hands roam over the expanse of his body, touch and linger, caress so softly like the contact is coming from a ghost.

“God, I missed you,” Bucky says, voice a notch above a whisper.

“Now you’re stuck with me forever,” Steve smiles. 

Bucky pushes Steve towards the bed and sits him down, rests his hands over Steve’s shoulders while Steve’s arms circle around Bucky’s waist.

“Promise?” Bucky says, entranced by the way Steve kisses on him.

Steve’s lips part against Bucky’s stomach and Bucky’s hand finds the back of Steve’s head and his fingers curl against Steve’s neck. Steve stares up at Bucky and he reveals so much in his eyes for Bucky to see. Desperation, need, adoration that softens Bucky’s hardened soul. When Steve speaks, his voice is muffled from his mouth being against Bucky’s stomach. Bucky can feel the word as much as he hears it and it sends a shiver through his spine all the way down to his toes.

“Promise.”


End file.
